Tank-heater



S. WILKS.

TANK HEATER.

(No Model.)

Patented June 24, 1890.

[TI m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN WILKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TAN K-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,717, dated June 24,1890.

7 Application filed December 5, 1889 $erial No. 332,725. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN WILKs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tank-I-Ieaters; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which t Figure 1is a vertical section showing the heater in position in a tank ready foruse. Figs. 2 and 3 are a plan view and an edge view, respectively, ofthe ring supporting the grate.

This invention relates to tank-heaters designed more especially for usein warming water for cattle, and to that class of such heaters in whichthe water-tank has the heater located inside of the tank and-surroundedby water.

The object of this invention is to construct a heater which can besecured in a watertank, and when therein and surrounded by water allow afire to be started, no matter whether the tank is frozen or not, andwhich will permit the fire-pot to be dumped and the ashes removedwithout removing the heater from the tank; and its nature consists inproviding a heater consisting of a lower or base portion supporting'agrate and forming the ash-box, and an upper portion forming the fire-potand heating-surface and entering the base portion for attachment theretoand to the bottom of the tank, and in the several parts and combinationof parts hereinafter more specifically described, and pointed out in theclaims as new.

In the drawings, A represents the base or lower portion of the heater ofa cylindrical shape, and having on its interior a ledge a and on oneside a hole a for the passage of the extension of one of thegrate-journals, and an opening a for access to the interior of the baseto remove ashes and the gratedumpings, and this opening a is closed by asliding door a held in place by guides at The opening a" also furnishesa draft when the door a is open. The upper end of the base A has anannular flange A, through which are holes for the passage of bolts orother fastening devices.

B is a ring of a diameter to enter the base A and rest 011 the lodge a,and this ring, on opposite sides, in line one with the other, hasdepressions b to receive the journals of the grate.

C is the grate, formed of an outer ring portion to lie within the ring Bwith cross bars, and having on opposite sides, in line with each other,journals 0, on which the grate can turn, which journals are supported inthe depressions b, and one journal 0 has an eatension 0 to pass throughthe opening a, with a square end to receive a handle or lever, by whichthe grate can be turned or tipped for dumping purposes. The inner faceof the base A has a lug or rest 0, on which the grate rests, as'shown inFig. 1.

D is the upper portion of the heater, the lower end of which forms thefire-box and enters the base A to rest on the ring 13 and hold such ringin position and retain the grate in place. The lower end of the portionD has an outer secondary wall d, between which and the main wall is aspace d for water to enter and prevent the burning out of the fire-pot,as well as assisting in the heating of the water, and the upper end ofthe wall d has a flange D corresponding to the flange A, with coincidingholes for the passage of the fastening-bolts and, as shown, between theflange A and the bottom of the tank and between the flanges A and D is apacking d of any suitable material to make a water-tight joint.

Eis a chimney slipped onto' the upper end of the portion D, and havingat its upper end a wind-breaker E. This chimney E has a door 6, throughwhich fuel can be passed'into the upper portion D of the heater withoutremoving the heater.

F is the water-tank, which may be of a cylindrical or other shape. Thebottom of this tank has a hole or opening corresponding in diameter tothat of the base A, and through which the base can be passed to liebelow the bottom of the tank for easy access to the extension c' anddoor a and the bolts 61' pass through the bottom of the tank and theflanges A and D, securing the heater together-and fastening it in thetank.

The heater is placed in the tank F by entering the base A from insidethe tank through the opening therefor in the bottom of the tank for theflange A to rest on the packmg (i between the flange and thetank-bottom. The ring B is dropped into place to rest on the ledge a,with the depressions b in hne with the hole or opening a. The grate C 1splaced in position, with its journals 0 in the depressions b and theextension 0 through the hole or opening a. The upper section D is placedin position for its lower end to rest on the ring C and its flange D onthe flange A with the packing d between the flanges, and the bolts d arepassed through the flanges A D and bottom of the tank, and the nutsapplied to the bolts fastening the heater in the tank, and the pipe orchimney E is placed on the end of the portion D, when the apparatus isready for use.

In use the tank is filled with water in any suitable manner and a firestarted in the heater by placing kindling and fuel into the fire-potthrough the door 6, producing the requisite heat for warming the water.After the fire has burned out the grate O can be turned or tipped,dumping the ashes and remains of the fire'into the base A for removalthrough the opening a, and when dumped the grate can be tipped back foranother fire when required to warm the water. The water in the tankenters the space d and prevents the burning out of the fire-pot, andthis water will soon become very hot, and, rising, pro duces circulationwhich will assist the heating of the water in the tank, and as theheater is immersed in the water, the entire surface of the chamber orupperportion D will radiate heat by which the water in the tank will bevery quickly warmed.

The dumping of the grate G beneath the bottom of the tank enables thefire-pot to be cleaned without removing the heater, as theash-receptacle is below the tank and access is had thereto through theopening a.

The tank when frozen can be quickly thawed out by starting a fire in theheater, the heat of which will very soon melt the ice adjacent to theportion D, forming a passage by which hot water from the space (1 canpass upward and produce a circulation that will act on the ice at oncewithout any breakingand chopping out of the ice.

The stove is adapted to burn wood, coal,

moved and an oil-burner be located in the,

base A, with a supply-pipe from a suitable reservoir passing through thehole a.

The heater as a whole is very simple in construction and can be easilyapplied to a watertank, as all that is required is to make a hole forthe passage of the base A in the bottom of the tank, and in use will befound very economical as well as effectual for the purpose for which itis intended.

- The wa ter-spac'e (1 forms an effectual guard against the .overheatingof the base and prevents the tank from having itsbottom warped or set onfire, and by having the opening a" with its door a where access can behad thereto, the regulating of the draft is under perfect control.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tank-heater consisting of a base A, supporting-ring B, grate (J,and upper part D, having a water-space d at its lower end around thefire-pot formed by an exterior wall joined to the lower end of saidportion D, substantially as and for the purposes specified. I

2. The base A, supporting-ring B, and grate O, in combination with theupper part D, having the water-space d at its lower end formed by thesecondary wall (1, and chimney E, having the door 6, for enabling aheater to be located in a water-tank and operated in building a fire andin dumping without removing the heater, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

3. The base A, supporting-ring B, grate 0, upper part D, havingthe'water-space d at its lower end formed by the wall d, and chimney E,having the door 6, in combination with the tank F, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

4. The base A, having the flange A, in combination with the upper partD, having the water-space d at its lower end formed by the secondarywall at and flange D, tank F, having an opening in its bottom forreceiving the base A, and packing 61 for making a watertight jointbetween the flanges and the bottom of the tank, substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

STEPHEN WILKS. Witnesses:

O. W. BOND, H. B. HALLOCK.

